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Berkman brings veteran perspective to team's woes

Berkman brings veteran perspective to team's woes

6/10/13: Lance Berkman connects on a two-run blast to left field, giving the Rangers a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the seventh inning

By T.R. Sullivan and Master Tesfatsion
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MLB.com |

ARLINGTON -- Lance Berkman hasn't gone through a regular season without dealing with offensive struggles, and the Rangers currently find themselves in that situation, scoring fewer than three runs in eight games this month. They trail only the Astros, who have accomplished the troubling feat nine times, in that category.

"It's fairly typical for any team to have a stretch like this," Berkman said. "You just try to minimize it."

Berkman said that in his experience, starting pitching has typically been the way out of a team's rough hitting stretch. He feels that starters need to go deep in their outings without allowing runs to keep the team in the game.

"As funny as it sounds, you need your starters to keep the thing close so there's an opportunity to break through," he said. "That's how you win baseball games."

Berkman added that scheduling can also help a team out of a slump. The ability to play every day gives players a chance to redeem poor outings. And even with the amount of young players on the Rangers, Berkman doesn't think that mentality changes.

"I remember as a young player, it doesn't matter if you're doing great or not doing great, you feel the same," he said. "You're trying to survive. You're trying to prove that you belong and establish yourself. It's really up to the veteran guys to keep an even keel and tell the guys to keep going out there, keep playing hard, and hope it turns around."